Expert: Omicron more serious threat than flu

The Omicron strain of COVID-19 is more dangerous than influenza, especially for the elderly who are not fully vaccinated, health experts said on Wednesday.

Wang Guiqiang, director of the Infectious Disease Department at Peking University First Hospital, said that based on data from Hong Kong, which was hit by a severe fifth wave driven by the Omicron strain, the mortality rate is around 0.7 percent, significantly higher than for the seasonal flu.

"A vital insight from the Hong Kong outbreak is that the death rate is closely linked to vaccination status," Wang said during a news briefing. "In Hong Kong, the mortality rate is 3.2 percent among the unvaccinated, 0.96 percent for those having received one dose, 0.14 percent for those having received two doses, and 0.03 percent for those having received three doses."

Wang called on seniors to get vaccinated and have their booster shot to protect themselves against Omicron.

Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that as of Tuesday, the fifth round of outbreaks sweeping through Hong Kong has led to 8,136 deaths out of 1.16 million infections. The number of deaths this time has already outstripped the combined number of deaths registered during the previous four rounds.

On the mainland, Wu said that more than 100,000 infections have been reported in the first three months of the year, among them 197 severe and critical cases.

The relatively low rate of death on the mainland compared to elsewhere is the result of prompt measures taken to curb the spread of the virus and to the centralized management of patients, he added.